Customs' officers save life of man, 68, visiting from Poland

A group effort helped save the life of a 68-year-old man from Poland who collapsed Sunday afternoon while getting processed at the customs' inspection area at O'Hare International Airport, officials said today.

The man, who had just arrived on LOT Polish Airlines from Warsaw, came to Chicago to visit his daughter in west suburban Addison. But when he went to get processed through customs at the federal inspection area, he collapsed and became unconscious, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

Paramedics were called to the scene and customs officers heard the call over the radio system and came to the area. The officers, including a U.S. Customs Agriculture Specialist who was by the man's side, went into action.

One officer ran to get an Automated External Defibrillation unit while Customs Chief Officer Brian Bell said he jumped in to do chest compressions.

The trio hooked up the AED and shocked the man once in his chest and Bell continued doing CPR. They shocked the man one more time and continued the chest compressions until the man regained his pulse, Bell said.

Bell, who said the group was focused on making sure the man regained consciousness, had worked as a paramedic for 10 years before becoming a chief officer. "I switched one uniform for another but the training never slipped away," he said. "The biggest reward was a group of people saved this man's life."

The man, who began to breathe on his own, was taken to a local hospital with good vital signs, officials said.

"CBP officers working in international airport operations come in contact with thousands of passengers every day and are specially trained and certified to provide aid to travelers who are in serious trouble," said Steven Artino, CBP Chicago Acting Director of Field Operations, said in the release. "Without hesitation, our officers reacted and saved this man's life."

Sunday marked the second time since March that CBP officers saved the life of an international passenger, officials said.

The Heart Saver Program positions AEDs in the airport one minute apart and has done so for more than 20 years. Classes are also offered by the city and as a result, one-third of all CBP officers are trained in AED, CPR and First Aid.